The nearly half a million Americans who own diesel powered Volkswagen cars impacted by the growing emissions scandal are still uncertain as to how their vehicles will be fixed.
Meanwhile, class action lawsuits are expected to mount as car owners realize they have been deceived – and that the resale values of their autos have been seriously impacted. Scandal Lawsuits
On September 18, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Volkswagen of utilizing software designed to dupe federal emission regulators into believing the cars met Clean Air Act Standards. According to reports, once the cars were out of the lab, emissions control software was deactivated – the vehicles then actually emitted dangerous pollutants at rates of up to 40 times acceptable standards. Volkswagen Falsification of Pollution Tests
Consequently, the EPA announced a recall of certain four cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel vehicles, among them diesel Beetles, Jettas, Golfs, Passats and Audi A3s. According to the EPA, all cars included in a massive recall include software that circumvents EPA emissions standards and may emit harmful levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx). Health issues and respiratory problems – including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema – are often linked to NOx exposure.
Volkswagen Diesel Recall Information
“Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Working closely with the California Air Resources Board, EPA is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules. EPA will continue to investigate these very serious matters.”
VW has revealed that over 480,000 cars in the United States and approximately 11 million worldwide contained the fraudulent software. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has since resigned, and former Porsche chief Matthias Mueller has stepped in to do damage control. New CEO Named at Volkswagen
He will have his work cut out for him. Environmentally savvy consumers paid thousands of extra dollars to acquire the purportedly more fuel-efficient diesel powered vehicles – now they have learned their cars are emitting dangerous toxins and plummeting in value.
